Box Score ST. LOUIS – [BOX SCORE] Missouri Baptist led for 89 minutes Thursday afternoon against Culver-Stockton. However, that wasn't enough as a late goal forced overtime and led to an eventual 2-2 tie after two overtime periods were played.
Culver-Stockton scored off a free kick with one minute remaining after the kick deflected off the Spartan goalie and onto the foot of Austin Roth, who buried it into the net. That goal sent things to overtime, one in which neither team scored after 20 minutes of play.
"Today was a lost opportunity," head coach Jake Alvernia said. "We have to be strong and more disciplined. We cannot relax and let teams get back in it."
The Spartans (2-2-3) scored the first two goals of the game, before Culver-Stockton (3-1-2) roared back. Josh Phillips netted the first when he took a pass in the box from Thales Teixeira, turned right and struck it past the keeper. That late first half goal (42nd minute) put MBU ahead 1-0.
Phillips made the most of his opportunity in a half in which the Spartans sent 10 shots toward the net. They outshot CSC 23-15 for the game. Saphir Salvador had another good chance when his header nearly went into the net off a corner kick.
An Erick Ocampo goal padded that one-goal lead, but not before goalie Braedan Passalis made multiple highlight saves early in the second half. The freshman keeper made four saves in a 10-minute span to block four golden opportunities for the Wildcats. Passalis came to the rescue when It looked as if Culver-Stockton would tie the game on multiple occasions.
Ocampo put MBU ahead 2-0 in the 70th minute when he finished off a nice cross from Gerardo Espinoza for his second goal of the year. It seemed that would give MBU some breathing room, but the Wildcats answered right back.
Less than a minute later, Alejandro Mentasti marched down the field and went top right corner to drop in a shot past Passalis. The score remained 2-1 until Roth's goal in the final minute. Kyle Setchfield nearly put the game away in the 79th minute, but the keeper deflected just enough of the ball away.
As for the overtime, Connar Armstrong had a free kick hit off the crossbar off a free kick from just outside the box in the 98th minute. Selmir Ademovic also had a strong look in the 105th minute, but his shot went just wide.
The Spartans continue non-conference play on Tuesday, September 20 against Evangel University on the road. Game time is set for 7:00 pm.
